Peters police pedaling in ‘turbo’ with eBikes

McMURRAY – When Peters Township police Officer William Woods pedals his electric bicycle, he’s usually in “turbo” mode.
“(It) gives you the maximum amount of torque and assistance with the least amount of resistance,” Woods said.
Woods and Officer Jim Stevick were on hand earlier this month to describe how the electric bicycles, known as eBikes, differ from, say, an old Schwinn with a banana seat and baseball cards clipped against the spokes. The key component is an electric motor that powers a function called pedal assist, which has four modes providing increasing amounts of speed, from Eco to Tour to Sport.
The department’s purchase of two eBikes, provided by Adam Rossi, whose South Fayette Township business Adam Solar Rides sells the bicycles, was made possible with a $2,500 contribution from Peters Township Chamber of Commerce and McMurray Rotary Club.
A compact battery, situated above the pedals and removable for expedient charging, powers the motor.
“On average, this will last us on patrol anywhere between four and six hours, and that’s at the highest level,” Woods reported.
And as for the battery unit: “It locks in there, so if we stop for a cup of coffee or to have lunch with somebody, we don’t have to worry about anyone taking it. You would think they’d leave it alone. Not so much.”
The police model is equipped with requisite lighting and a siren that emits various sounds depending on the situation, plus wide tires for increased off-road traction.
“The nice thing is that we can use it anywhere,” Woods explained, including monitoring the Arrowhead-Montour trail system and navigating parking lots without having to battle too much traffic. “We also have a really nice bike rack, which we just had installed on one of our new cars, that will transport the bikes if we want to go further, to the outskirts of the township.”
The bicycle patrol often is a welcome sight, especially for those who take advantage of Peters’ favorite recreational amenity.
“I tend to get a lot of positive feedback from people on the trail,” Wood said. “There are some secluded areas up there, and I think that’s where most people want to see us.”
As for his own eBike assessment:
“I’ve always ridden touring bike and mountain bikes, and never thought to try one of these,” he said. “And I had heard that they were heavier, with thicker tires. But once I got on it, any misconceptions I had about it were gone.”